DANBURY, Conn. - The Simmons College women's volleyball team split a pair of matches at the Colonial Classic, hosted by Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Conn. The Sharks fell in four sets to Rochester Institute of Technology, before posting a 3-0 victory over Western Connecticut this evening at Feldman Arena. Simmons is now 1-1 on the season, while RIT is 2-0 and Western Connecticut is 0-2.

Simmons gave RIT all it could handle with two points separating the teams in each of the three lost sets. The Sharks fell to the Tigers, 26-24 and 25-23 in the first two sets, before the Sharks dominated the third set, 25-16, but RIT earned the victory with a 25-23 win in the fourth frame.

Sophomore outside hitter Morgan Weeg (Goodyear, Ariz.) led Simmons vs. RIT with 17 kills and a .314 hitting percentage to go with an ace, while first year outside hitter Jarene Harberts (Naples, Fla.) put down seven kills in her collegiate debut. First year right side hitter Faith Gray-Williams (Las Vegas, Nev.) fired four aces and added a kill.

The Sharks cruised past Western Connecticut, winning in three sets by scores of 25-19, 25-18, 25-19. Simmons posted a .231 hitting percentage, paced by Weeg's .440 mark. She swung for 13 kills and committed just two errors, while adding six digs and a service ace. Harberts added seven kills, three digs, two blocks and an ace. Gray-Williams recorded a team-high 12 assists in addition two go with three digs and two blocks. Sophomore setter Kenna McCarthy (Shelter Island, N.Y.) contributed with eight assists, a kill and a team-best four aces. First year right side hitter Riley Roberge (Peoria, Ariz.) hit .556 for the match with five kills in nine attempts to spark the Sharks as well.

Simmons returns to action tomorrow when it takes on Wentworth Institute of Technoloy at 10:00 a.m. Western Connecticut will also play tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., playing Pennsylvania State-Berks, while RIT plays Wentworth tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.